The present invention relates to an easily installable self-supporting construction frame, and, in particular, a self-supporting construction frame accommodating a retractable screen. The self-supporting construction frame has two vertical portions; and two horizontal portions. In the construction frame, one of the two vertical or horizontal portions is an anchor portion; and the two horizontal portions are detachably coupled to the two vertical portions. A method of using the construction frame for installation of doors and windows is also disclosed.
Several retractable screen doors are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,890 to Kramer, et al disclose coilable closure device to open or close a door opening. The device includes a frame, a guide means, a vertical storage chamber and a single sheet of plastic vertically coilable upon itself within the storage chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,739 to Murray, et al disclose an insulative window shade assembly of the roll-up type for windows or like openings. The window shade includes a flexible sheet of shade material which in its inoperative condition is contained in a header or a casing mounted on the top of the opening and extending across the width of the opening. The casing contains a spring actuated roller upon which a sheet of shade material is wound with a leading edge protruding through the longitudinal slot or opening of the casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,786 to Johnson discloses a reelable door closure. The closure is for covering the door opening and includes a recoilable spool of closure material such as plastic, or screen cloth which moves horizontally across a doorway and is stabilized by a top track hanger and a vertically extending locking and stabilizing member secured to the free end of the closure material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,244 to Thumann discloses a retractable covering for a door opening. The retractable covering includes a housing mounted on one side of the door and a latching strip mounted on the opposite side of the door. The housing contains a roll of screen or similar sheeting material that can be pulled out of the housing across the door opening. One side edge of the screen is fixed to a biased roller assembly inside of the housing, the other side edge of the screen is affixed to a rigid side member that has a formation that engages with a formation on the latching strip of the opposite side of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 514,966 to Schluns discloses a coiled sliding door consisting of a double series of vertical strips overlapping each other and secured on the opposite sides of transverse connecting bands in combination with metallic clips which are fixed centrally to the bands and clipped outwardly at each end to receive and hold the vertical chips.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,113,721 to Watson discloses a knockdown roller-screen. The screen comprises side cases having open lengthwise channels therein on the two opposite sides of the window casing. The side casings have open ended sidewise housings on their lower ends and a crosswise roll case insertable into the sidewise housings to detachably connect the side cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,143,718 to McPherson discloses a roller window screen including a window frame, a guard mounted at the upper portion of the frame, a roller mounted in the guard, a wire mesh mounted on the roller and arranged to pass around the lower edge of the guard, and flexible reinforcing members secured to the edges of the mesh.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,340,797 to Schoch discloses a window screen including a combination window screen and shade roller bracket. The window screen has an elongated body portion, ears projecting forwardly from the ends of the body portion and having spaced slots and openings, and lugs depending from the lower edge of the body portion adjacent to the opposite ends, the lugs being offset forwardly of the body and constituting stops.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,608,667 to Poetsch discloses a window ventilator comprising a flexible porous strip adapted to be stretched across an opening of a window, means for one strip in the housing therefor. The ventilator comprises a tubular body, and end pieces of sheet metal bent in the form of a U to provide a slot therein, the body having inwardly extendible flanges slidably extending into the slot, whereby the end pieces are secured to the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,015,993 to Drake discloses a sliding window screen for horizontal operation in window openings. The screen comprises a spring roller housing, closure member attached thereto, the closure member having a draw-bar, a guide member for attachment to a window seal, and a guide member attached to a vertically sliding sash wherein the position of the last mentioned varies with the position of the sash and at a end member to which the drawbar may be attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,105 to Nye discloses a roller screen. U.S. Pat. No. 2,543,118 describes a window screen including a tubular roller having annular heads on each end and disc-like members within the tubular roller at each end.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,776 to Herman describes a rolling window screen having a spring roller with screening material rolled thereon and a pivot pin at one end of the roller and a flat pin at the spring end of the roller. The screen has a compartment having one side open, a pivot bracket secured at one end of the compartment for receiving the pivot pin and a pair of slide receiving slots at the other end of the compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,823 to Lockhart discloses a roller screen adapted for use with a window sash slidable in a window frame having a rail extending transversely of the frame, housing, roller screen mounted inside the housing, attachment members for attaching one end of the screen to the frame. In addition, there is marketed a product called a phantom screen which is a disappearing screen for doors and windows.
The above roller and retractable screens in the prior art are very difficult to install and require custom fitting to accommodate variable size window and door openings.
The construction frame and retractable screen of the present invention are designed to fit a range of sizes and variations for standard door openings and window openings. The c frame of the invention will accommodate opening size variations using a single size screen frame due to a unique detachable clip design present in the frame.
The present invention provides a self-supporting construction frame, including two vertical or horizontal portions; and two horizontal portions; wherein one of the two vertical portions is an anchor portion; and wherein the two horizontal portions are detachably coupled to the two vertical portions.
In one embodiment, the self-supporting construction frame may be removably inserted into a construction opening. In a preferred embodiment the construction opening accommodates either a door or a window. Advantageously the self-supporting construction frame is self-squaring relative to the construction opening.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a self-supporting construction frame anchor portion which includes a housing. In an alternative embodiment, the self-supporting construction frame housing stores a spring-activated, retractable screen. The spring-activated screen may be retracted horizontally or vertically. The spring-activated, retractable screen may be detachably fastened to a vertical portion opposite to the anchor portion.
The invention also provides, in one embodiment, a spring-activated, retractable screen which is detachably fastened to a vertical portion opposite to the anchor portion by a magnet disposed in the vertical portion opposite to the anchor portion. The spring-activated, retractable screen may be detachably fastened to a vertical portion opposite to the anchor portion by a latch.
The invention provides for tension adjustment of the spring-activated, retractable screen housed in the anchor portion. Preferably, the self-supporting construction frame is removably inserted into a construction opening, and the spring-activated, retractable screen is housed in the anchor portion and is accessible for adjustment of the tension of the spring.
The invention also provides, in one embodiment, for a construction frame in which the two horizontal portions are detachably coupled to the two vertical portions by interlocking clips. The interlocking clips may be attached to either the two horizontal portions or the two vertical portions. The two horizontal portions or the two vertical portions include a receptacle or mate for the clips of the opposite portion (vertical or horizontal). The interlocking clips may be detachably coupled to the horizontal portions and the vertical portions of the self-supporting frame.
In an alternative embodiment, the interlocking clips are detachably coupled to ends of the horizontal portions and the vertical portions.
The anchor portion of the construction frame provides for flexible adjustment of the horizontal portions of the construction frame, relative to the vertical portions, when the horizontal portions are detachably coupled to the vertical portions.
The above and other objects of the invention will become readily apparent to those of skill in the relevant art from the following detailed description and figures, wherein only the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode of carrying out the invention. As is readily recognized the invention is capable of modifications within the skill of the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.